


all the time

by Julx3tte



Series: hidden beneath the kissing folds and lily pads [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU - Middle Aged, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, fades to black, gratuitously hooking up in inappropriate places, nude model james, singer!lily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 09:30:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17619893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julx3tte/pseuds/Julx3tte
Summary: James and Lily promised to live their 40s like the 20s they never had. In boardrooms, and dressing rooms, and even... art class?Or - six places James and Lily hook up in their 40s.





	all the time

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Perhaps read Closer than Close (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13461672) before this one.

**Kitchens**

James Potter tip-toed into the kitchen early in the morning, hair askew. He didn’t bother to put on his glasses - though he did take care to brush his teeth - nor did he bother to find suitable clothing. He was here on a mission, after all.

He snuck behind Lily, who was doing dishes in her apron. Wordlessly he pressed his lips on the nape of her neck, placed his hands at her waist, just under her apron, and pulled her to him.

Lily gave a quick yelp of surprise before leaning into his touch. His warm breath and warm hands felt good in the slight morning chill.

“And what brought this on, dear husband?” she asked, rinsing the last mug in the sink before washing her hands. She’d left their bed quietly that morning, unable to fall back asleep, and wondered how long it’d take for him to realize she was missing.

James had moved his lips up her neck and behind her ears and whispered, “Happy birthday, dear.”

“It’s not my birthday, James.” Lily dried off her hands with a dish towel, biting her lip to stop her from laughing gently. 

“Oh?” She could feel the laugh on his lips as they hovered just above her skin.

He tugged at Lily’s hips, helping her turn around to face him, reached behind to undo the tie of her apron, and lifted the apron above her head, meeting her lips for a kiss once it had come off. 

“Happy morning then,” he whispered with a kiss to her cheek, before trailing kisses lower, just under her jaw.

Lily took a moment’s glance at her husband - barely dressed, hair tousled, breath suspiciously fresh, and shrugged. She supposed this was her due, getting up so early and restless, leaving him to wake in the cold. 

“Happy morning indeed,” she replied, spinning them so she was pulling them away from the countertop, back until the back of her knees met the kitchen table and she could wrap a leg around his waist and draw a kiss to the side of his neck. 

**Conservatories**

“Lils, what’s up?” 

They were in Lily’s conservatory - officially the Potter wing, after James had brought some investors together - hours before the show. Tonight, Lily was giving the christening performance of the new concert hall, and they were here early for rehearsals.

Well, Lily was. James was along for the ride, holding her practice materials: a hot water thermos, honey, sheet music, and a metronome. He’d never much been involved in her music, save to watch her performances. 

Back when she did perform regularly, he was still playing full time, and they’d both sort of shifted out of the public eye together. Being here with her, knowing Lily was in her element, made James want to embrace her tightly. Though, that would be counterproductive to their purpose here. 

Lily walked the stage’s length, her skirt flaring around her as she turned, like a flower, imagining the lights following her.

Eventually Lily stopped in the middle of the stage, gazing at the empty seats. Her eyes scanned the columns that lined the sides of the room, the balcony, seats sold out months before the show, and the tall, rounded ceiling that echoed back every footstep she took, as if she filled the entire hall with her presence.

“Come here,” she commanded.

James knew better than not to follow her lead. He put the bag down and walked to her. He barely reached arm’s distance when she reached to touch his cheek, other hand behind his neck, and all but pulled him to meet her.

“Mine” she said in his ear.

“Yours,” he agreed.

When James gazed at the hollow ceiling towering above him, Lily laying on his chest, tracing circles as she listened to his heart beat, all he could think about was how Lily’s voice sounded so beautiful, echoing in the empty concert hall, marking it as hers.

**Boardrooms**

Months ago, James had asked Lily to speak to his board of investors on how her students and the conservatory would grow in stature as a result of the new wing. It wasn’t much of a hard sell, but there was something to the passion in her eyes that would make the investors understand just how significant this was.

Lily took her time gathering herself after everyone had left, still not believing that opening the Potter wing was reality. James quickly moved to the door and locked it as she stood up from her chair, and before she could ask, slid his arms around her waist, picked her right up and placed her in the middle of the boardroom table. 

He kissed her before she could say a word, and Lily’s legs instinctively wrapped around his body, pulling him down to her. The way he bit her lips made her shiver in delight. 

“Liked something you heard, Potter?”

James responded by biting the side of her neck, not caring that her blouse and blazer wouldn’t cover the mark later.

“I told you we’d live out our twenties again Evans,” he said finally, looking at her in the eyes. She was flush, warming the familiar wrinkles on her face. He threw off his sweater.

“In a boardroom?” Lily questioned.

“You don’t know how many times I thought about this while I was still playing. We had team meetings around this giant table…”

He trailed off as Lily ran her hands up and down his stomach, still as flat and toned as his younger years.

“Younger you wouldn’t have done it,” she challenged.

“That’s why we’re here now.”

She ran a hand along the side of his face. He had been trying on a bearded look lately - ever since he saw some of the other players in his retirement class on the cover of GQ and asked her about it. It suited him, sort of. 

It suited her sometimes too, as he kissed her collarbones and bit into soft skin. She could feel the scruff prickling sensitive skin, setting her nerves on fire. 

“This is why I wore a skirt, dear.”

**Art Classes**

“This is the most ridiculous thing you have ever done, James.”

“For you my dear.” James loosened the belt around his robe and walked into the classroom. A dozen or so students stood by easels, preparing paint supplies, and looked up as James walked in. More than a dozen pairs of eyes widened when they recognized who had just walked into their room as their nude model.

Lily followed in his wake as the professor introduced him. “Everyone please welcome James. His wife Lily, as you know, is a professor of vocal performance, and will be joining our anatomic painting session today. In exchange….” 

The professor scratched his beard as he trailed off, as half the class laughed at the joke. The other half remained too surprised to move, though a young woman waved Lily over to an empty easel.

Lily noticed the blush on her face and tried to conceal her laughter, as the girl stammered out an apology.

“Sorry Lily - I me- I mean Professor Potter. It’s just that-”

“You’ve had a crush on him since you were a kid, yeah?”

“Yeah,” the woman said shamefully.

“Me too,” Lily smiled, offering a hand. “Your name?”

“Olivia.”

“Now Olivia, how do I mix these paints…”

An hour later, James stepped off the pedestal, fully naked and stretching. A full half of the class dropped a brush, or paint, or tripped over something as he walked directly to where Lily stood, finishing her painting.

“James dear, I wasn’t done,” she waved at him with a paintbrush.

Almost as if sensing what was to come, the professor coughed out a quick, “Class dismissed” and left the room. The students quickly gathered their belongings to leave, against their will to ask for a picture or autograph.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here to sign everyone’s painting next week,” James called out.

As the room emptied, James stood to look at Lily’s painting. “What did they think we were going to do in here?” he questioned.

Lily said nothing, but ran a short brush stroke across the painting, right between the legs of the painted James.

The real James’ eyebrows raised, and he feigned a complaint.

“But my muscles are stiff.” Still, he closed the gap between them.

Lily stood and pushed her body up against his. “But I’ve still got a figure to study,” she said, breathing into his neck.

James felt his cheeks burn - even after years of hearing it, he never quite got used to the way Lily’s voice filled with desire for him. 

“And you’ve still got some strokes to finish?” he replied.

“James dear, this is serious art. Now help me with this apron…”

**Performances**

Lily’s singing was heavenly. There was a reason the conservatory asked her to be the first performance on the new stage. At the end of the show, before the bow, James snuck out from the front row and made his way to her dressing room.

The first year after James retired, when Lily was beginning to sing her own shows, they had a routine: James would come into her dressing room before and after the show and wish her a special kind of luck.

It was the same thing that, when they could get away with it, Lily would do for James before home games with his club.

It had been years since either of them had a personal dressing room, but James decided she might not be opposed to it again. It was their promise to each other, after all, to relive their twenties now that Harry was grown.

So, finding his way into her dressing room, he simply sat in her chair and waited for her to come in. 

Lily wasn’t surprised. She saw him slink out, and knew where he was headed. And, after this morning, and again at rehearsals, it wasn’t much of a surprise. If anything, she decided that he deserved some attention too - after all, he was a big part of making all of this happen, despite her being the star of the show.

Lily ignored him as she walked in, and only raised an eyebrow at him as she got ready to change.

“Nice singing, Evans. The best, even.” James’ eyes were fixated on her dress, and the way the shimmering gown sparkled as it fell on the floor at Lily’s feet.

“Tell me something I don’t know, Potter.” She stepped out of the gown and made her way towards him.

“I love you, Lily.”

Standing right in front of the chair, Lily brushed her thumb across James’ cheek, who responded by kissing her hand gently.

“I knew that too.”

James shrugged. “Well I’m stuck, dear. You know everything.”

“Guess what,” she whispered, stepping between his legs and pressing a kiss on his forehead.

“What?”

“Singing’s not all I can do…”

**Dinners**

The Potters had family dinners together anytime they had a big event. At Harry’s high school graduation, they rented a whole room for his friends, but, tonight, it was a small dinner affair. The owner of the restaurant was a patron of the conservatory and invited them all to join. Euphie came late, but Harry, Ginny, Sirius, Remus, Lily and James all took the short walk downtown together.

“Are they always like this,” Ginny asked Sirius, observing. James and Lily were skipping down the block, holding hands.

“Maybe they drank a youth potion,” Harry added.

“Or maybe,” Sirius gave a joking frown, “they’re just remembering what their life was like before a certain little prongslet was the center of their life.” He reached to ruffle Harry’s hair, as Harry slipped just out of reach.

“You mean, there was a time when I wasn’t their everything?” Harry laughed, turning around.

Ginny gave him a slap on the wrist. “I hope you don’t expect that of me.”

Harry feigned horror. “No, we have that written in our contract. ‘I, Ginevra Weasley, shall not leave Harry Potter for any reason less than falling madly in love with an entire soccer stadium.’”

Remus roared in laughter. “You three are children, all of you.”

“And what does that make those two?” Sirius countered.

“Teenagers,” Remus said remorsefully.

**Bedrooms**

“You kept the beard,” Lily said, scratching her fingernails along the curve of his jaw.

“For you dear,” James replied, his hands finding Lily’s waist.

“Or maybe so you don’t get photographed and asked for an interview?”

“If I wanted that I would have went with a moustache. I’m always happy to grace the covers of magazines across the country”

“Just because you saw Frank on the cover doesn’t mean…”

“Shush now,” he whispered, raking his jaw down the side of Lily’s neck.

“The truth comes out,” said Lily.

“I told you, only for you.”

“Shut up and do that again, James.”

“Like this?” James did it again, slower, hands on her waist.

“Or like  _ this _ ?” James kissed her sternum, and Lily put her hands in his hair and, gently, showed him where his lips should go.

“Like when we were twenty, James,” Lily whispered. “And all we had was each other.”


End file.
